The name "Twin Cities" comes from the region's two core cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, which border each other share many of the same political, educational, and cultural institutions - and are thus considered to be "twins".

There are multiple "tiers" or "rings" of suburbs extending out from these core cities, some reaching as far as Wisconsin.

Dakota County

Scott County

Carver County

Chisago County

Wright County

Understand

Located where the Minnesota River joins the Mississippi, the Twin Cities grew in the 1800s from its location at the intersection of the two major rivers as well as rail lines. For a period the point furthest downstream that the Mississippi could be bridged was located in the area, if only due to the fortuitous island placement. Contributing to its growth was St. Anthony Falls, a natural waterfall which provided energy to working grain mills located on the Mississippi River. Due to rapid erosion of its limestone underlayment, St Anthony Falls moved upstream until it was set in concrete by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Get in

By car

Two Interstate Highways, I-94 and I-35, travel through the Twin Cities travelling east/west and north/south respectively. I-35 splits as it passes through the Twin Cities, with I-35W coming through Minneapolis, and I-35E making an eastward bow through Saint Paul. Several other national and state highways also travel through the area.

By plane

Most travelers will arrive in Terminal 1-Lindbergh. Terminal 2-Humphrey was recently rebuilt and serves primarily charter carriers. The Lindbergh terminal (Charles Lindbergh was a Minnesotan, and one of his transatlantic planes is suspended above the ticketing area) receives the bulk of renovation fees, however, and it is an attractive, modern, convenient, and well-designed terminal. The Humphrey terminal is also quite attractive; the terminals share the same runways, have long- and short-term parking set between them, and are equally convenient for transportation. Savvy travelers might check the terminal of their arrival or departure to communicate their location to friends, relatives, or other transport.

The Hiawatha light rail line [7] serves both terminals as it runs between downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America. Travel between the two terminals [8] is free. Fare for traveling outside the airport is $1.75-2.25 [9] depending on the time of day. The trains are fast and clean and, at times, one might imagine being in Holland or Disneyland while traveling their pristine route.

Airlines serving Terminal 1-Lindbergh:

Air Canada

Air Tran Airways

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

Comair Airlines

Continental Airlines

Delta Air Lines (major hub)

Frontier Airlines

KLM

Mesaba Airlines

SkyWest

United Airlines

US Airways

Airlines serving Terminal 2-Humphrey:

Casino Express

Champion Air

Icelandair

Miami Air International

Midwest Connect (Midwest Airlines)

Omni Air International

Ryan International

Southwest Airlines

Sun Country Airlines (also based in the Twin Cities)

By train

Amtrak, [10]. Trains arrive at Midway Station in Saint Paul, located at 730 Transfer Road (one block north of University Avenue, near its intersection with Cleveland Avenue). The 16 busline comes within a block. Daily service via the "Empire Builder", trains 8/28 and 7/27, terminating at Chicago and Seattle or Portland.

By bus

Greyhound Bus Lines and Jefferson Lines buses arrive at the Hawthorne Transportation Center, located at 950 Hawthorne Ave (at 10th St, one block west of Hennepin) in downtown Minneapolis. It's just a few minute's taxi ride away from most of the downtown hotels. It's 4-5 blocks away from a few major bus routes and the light rail. The depot is near a homeless shelter, so it's not uncommon to see a few homeless people hanging out nearby. The area is well-patrolled and quite safe. Some routes make additonal stops.

Badger Coaches, [1]. 4x weekly scheduled services in cooperation with Jefferson Lines to Wisconsin daily and Milwaukee, with a few local stops inbetween.$45-$53.

Greyhound Express, (at the Hawthorne Transportation Center), [3]. Service from Chicago and Milwaukee. Fares from $1 and up.

Jefferson Lines, (at the Hawthorne Transportation Center), [4]. Operate scheduled services across the state to South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond. Jefferson prides itself on its 'eco-friendly' new coaches.

Megabus, [5]. Service from Madison (4 times daily), Milwaukee (4 times daily), and Chicago (8 times daily). Fares can be as little as $1 each way if reserved far enough in advance. The bus stop is located in downtown Minneapolis in the parking lot on the east side of Chicago Avenue between 3rd Street and Washington Avenue (about 1.5 blocks from the Metrodome and the Downtown East/Metrodome light rail station). Buses have wifi.

By boat

Mississippi River. The river runs through both downtowns, but passenger boats don't serve the area. Huck Finn fantasies aside, arrival via the Mississippi is not recommended. (Besides, Huck floated down river.)

Get around

Public transit

Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and some of the inner suburbs are all served by public transit run by Metro Transit[11]. There are also other transit authorities serving the outlying suburbs. Regular adult fares are currently $2.25 during peak periods (6AM-9AM and 3PM-6:30PM Monday thru Friday) and $1.75 during off-peak periods (these fares come with free transfers lasting 2.5 hours). Ticket machines at light rail stations will also sell 6-hour passes for $4 on weekdays or $3.50 on weekends, and 24-hour passes for $6.

Unlimited ride passes are available in 1-day, 7-day, and 31-day formats. Stored value passes (pay-per-ride) are also available. Day passes are $6 and can be purchased online [12], at a Metro Transit Store, from a bus driver, or a ticket machine at any light rail station. 7-day ($22) and 31-day ($59-$113.50) passes must be loaded on a Go-To card[13], which can be purchased online, at a Metro Transit Store, or participating Metro Transit sales outlets. Stored value passes can be loaded on a Go-To card in increments of $10 (up to $400), and come with a 10% bonus on each purchase (e.g. a $10 purchase would give you $11 in fare value, $20 would give you $22, and so forth). Once in possession of a Go-To card, reloading it with new unlimited ride passes is easy and can be done online, at Metro Transit stores and outlets, or at light rail ticket machines.

Light Rail

Serving Downtown Minneapolis, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the airport, the Mall of America, and all points in between. Although automobile transport is most useful for those who wish to explore more than the two downtown areas of the Twin Cities (e.g corporate visitors, or people visiting any of the suburbs), tourists may find light rail the easiest, fastest, and safest transport between the airports, the Mall of America, and downtown Minneapolis. There is currently only one line, though amenities at each stop, and within walking distance of each stop, are expanding. Eastbound and Westbound bus lines also intersect the light rail line at most points, so it is possible that visitors could use public transport exclusively to explore the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. About a mile West of the Mississippi and much of the border between Minneapolis & Saint Paul, it's possible to use east-west bus routes on the Ford Parkway, Lake Street, Franklin Avenue, or Hennepin Avenue for expedient travel within the cities and to most residential neighborhoods.

Bus

The Twin Cities have an adequate bus system, hobbled by confusing connections to suburban lines, and poor service during non-rush hours (and no service after 1AM except on a few select routes with "night owl" service). The Metro Transit site (linked above) allows you to search for the best routes between your current location and your desired location, and is as good as most such systems in providing good routes and connections. Bus stops are located very nearly everywhere throughout the city, but some are served only very infrequently, and most are not labeled as to which routes serve them at which times, so take care, especially in sub-zero weather, as to which routes you choose. Buses on Hennepin Avenue, Washington Avenue, Lake Street, and University Avenue are most consistent and provide transport to the greatest numbers. Express buses operate between the two downtowns regularly during rush hours, and buses to suburbs, or connecting to light rail are limited, and best used during high traffic times.

Skyways and Tunnels

Minneapolis and Saint Paul both have extensive second floor ("Première étage") "skyways" that connect central city buildings with each other. Although Minneapolis is larger, the Saint Paul system, to this point, has more connections and is more extensive than Minneapolis' system. That said, one could walk from the Convention Center in Minneapolis to Washington Avenue (a block before the Mississippi) without going outside, and without stopping at a pedestrian traffic light. Highway 394 feeds into heated parking garages, so that a Wayzatan suburbanite could enter her Lexus, drive the length of 394 to the heated lot, go to work, shop at Target or Marshall Fields, see a movie, have dinner, and return home - all without having to wear a coat or change clothes, even in 20-below weather.

Even in good weather, mid-day romps in Minneapolis or Saint Paul at street level will miss most of the citizen activity, despite the appearance of crowds and farmers' markets, as many folks will choose to get their lattes, sandwiches, takeout, or copy keys, copy documents, or visit their banks, on the second level, a floor above the apparent activity.

As if to confuse you, there is an extensive network of tunnels connecting several buildings on the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus. Good idea, only different.

Bike

The Twin Cities, despite unfriendly weather for bikes from about November to April, provides many resources for both recreational and commuting bicyclers. Most major, and primary one-way, and two-way, streets have ample bike lanes which are marked and visible during fair weather months. In addition, all Minneapolis in-city lakes have bike paths that are separated from pedestrian traffic (and from motorized vehicles), and offer one-way transit around the entire Chain of Lakes, extending to Minnehaha Parkway and into Saint Paul. As if that were not adequate, former rail line paths sustain two-way bike lanes following east-west routes just South of Highway 394 and into downtown Minneapolis, known as the Cedar Lake trail; and just North of Lake Street, following a path known as the Midtown Greenway; and both are connected via a spur alongside an active freight railway just East of Cedar Lake and North of Lake Calhoun. It is possible to connect, via either east-west line, to bike trails that connect far into the Western suburbs and beyond, and recreational bicyclers can travel along historic rail lines for uncounted miles West.

Both buses and light-rail trains are equipped with bike racks. It is not uncommon, though still shocking, to see bicyclers in sub-zero weather, and in deep snow. Visitors may find late March to late November as the best period to travel on bicycles, if cold and snow don't arrive or persist.

Nice Ride [14] is a public bike sharing program that both locals and visitors can rent from. It currently services both downtowns and limited areas between and outside the central business districts.

See

Museums

Minneapolis is home to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Walker Art Center, Mill City Museum, Weisman Art Museum, The Museum of Russian Art and more. Saint Paul is home to the Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota History Center, Minnesota Children's Museums, and others.

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center, 725 Vineland Place, [15]. Open daily, 6AM-Midnight. The Sculpture garden is an outdoor exhibition of sculptures from many different artists, including the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry. The sculpture garden is adjacent to the Walker Art Center and is a popular picnic place in the summer.

Do

Being located in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Twin Cities offers many aquatic activities. Many lakes offer swimming beaches with on-duty lifeguards. Fishing and ice fishing are popular activities, but be sure to purchase a fishing license first. Licenses are $8.50 for 24 hours and $28.50 for 7 days if you live outside the state. They can be purchased at most sporting goods stores, bait shops, and even some gas stations.

Como Park, 1294 Lexington Parkway N, Saint Paul. A 100-acre park with a huge glass-domed Conservatory built in 1913, a lake with paddle boats, small but world-class free zoo, an amusement park with rides, and the beloved Cafesjian's Carousel[16].

Minnesota Zoo, [17], in Apple Valley, MN about 10 miles south of the Mall of America, is Minnesota's large world-class zoo. Open every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas, from 9AM - 4PM or 6PM seasonally, $7 - $12 admission (plus $5 for IMAX theatre); parking $5 (cars) - 15 (motorcoaches).

ValleyFair amusement park. Most common amusement park fare is available, including thrill rides, kiddie rides, and a waterpark. The roller coaster called "Wild Thing" is the most exciting and thrilling ride in this amusement park. Also, there is a place where you can dress up in old-fashioned clothes and take neat pictures, which is very fun and not so expensive.

Buy

Mall of America

Mall of America

Mall of America, 60 East Broadway, Bloomington, 952 883-8800. Largest indoor shopping complex in the United States. A dizzying shopping experience. It has hundreds of stores, a LEGO play area, an indoor theme park, and a large aquarium. There is an IKEA next door. You can get there by Light Rail or bus.

Smaller shopping centers

The Twin Cities has many shopping centers, the list gently spoofed by radio humorist Garrison Keillor in his list of imaginary malls ending in "-dale":

Shopping Districts

Uptown area, centered on Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, south of Downtown Minneapolis and extending east to the Lake/Lyndale avant-garde theatre district.

Grand Avenue, [18], west of downtown Saint Paul between two of the liberal arts colleges that sprinkle the region. Parking on Grand can be difficult during peak times; try Summit Avenue, one block north.

Clothes

Minnesota is one of the few US states where clothing is tax-free. The Mall of America and other malls listed above offer a wide selection of clothes. Other places to check out clothes include:

Eat

Eating vegetarian

The Twin Cities is extremely vegetarian-friendly, with a large concentration of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants. There are also a number of natural food coops. For example in Minneapolis alone, one can choose to shop at Linden Hills, Eastside, Wedge, or Seward Coops. There are also options for raw foodies, including Ecopolitan Restaurant. Last, there are a number of worker-owned collectives, including the Hard Times Cafe and Seward Cafe, that serve mostly organic, vegan food.

Sleep

There are numerous hotels scattered around the suburban Twin Cities region. For hotels in specific cities, see the individual articles.

Contact

Telephones

The Twin Cities region is covered by four area codes. 612 covers Minneapolis, Richfield, St. Anthony, the airport, and the entire University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus (including the Saint Paul campus); 651 covers Saint Paul and the east suburbs; 763 covers the northwest suburbs; 952 covers the southwest suburbs. Dialing a 1 before the area code is not necessary if just making a call from one Twin Cities area code to another.

Cope

Publications

Minneapolis Star Tribune, [22]. Also known as the Strib, it is Minneapolis' daily paper.

St. Paul Pioneer Press, [23]. Perhaps not as widely read as the Strib, but has a larger Pulitzer Prize-to-staff ratio keeping it well in place as a solid regional and world news source.

City Pages, [24]. The local metro weekly, with theatre and music listings, and an annual "best of" issue well worth checking out.

Stay safe

The Twin Cities are like most major American cities when it comes to crime issues, and all standard common-sense precautions should be taken.

Get out

William O'Brien State Park [25] (8am-10pm) is located in Marine on the St. Croix, approximately 50 miles east of the Twin Cities. The outer trail system is about 12 kilometers and a popular place for hiking, cross-country skiing, and jogging. Visitors can also swim, canoe, and camp in the park. A state park vehicle pass is required for entry.

Grand Rounds Scenic Byway [27] circles the Twin Cities area, offering walks along several of the state's 10,000 lakes and the Mississippi River.

Gateway Trail spans from rural Marine on the St. Croix to the Capitol building in St. Paul.

This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!